


A Good Idea

by queen_scribbles



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Battle Couple, Established Relationship, F/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23528755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Every other stage of Tavi and Aloth's relationship has been unconventional, why should this step be any different?
Relationships: Aloth Corfiser/The Watcher
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	A Good Idea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rannadylin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rannadylin/gifts).



> started as a tumblr prompt fill and _quickly_ ran away with me ^^

Aloth was lost in thought. Again.

“Must be a real puzzler,” Tavi commented as she plunked down next to him and handed over a bowl of the stew she’d just made. “Careful, it’s still fuckin’ hot.”

He nodded gratitude for the warning as he took the bowl. “What is?”

“Whatever you’re thinkin’ about that’s had you even quieter’n usual for three fuckin’ days,” she replied with a teasing nudge.

“I wouldn’t have thought it was that obvious,” he deadpanned, poking at the stew as steam rose from the bowl.

“I just know you too well, city slicker.” She kissed his cheek. “And you’ve been starin’ at the same page since I started dinner.”

That side of Aloth’s mouth tipped up in a smile as he set aside the book. “It’s nothing to worry about. Just... a small internal debate.”

Tavi raised a brow, well-aware how _not_ -small his internal debates tended to be. “You sure?”

He nodded. “I’m sure.” They lapsed into silence, both blowing on their dinner to hasten its cooling. It was only a few moments before Aloth cleared his throat. “...Tavi?”

 _Knew it_. “Mm-hm,” she mumbled around a (technically too-hot) mouthful of stew.

He twisted one of his rings, working it up and down his finger, and bit his lip. “I just.... We’ve been doing this for a while now.”

“Huntin’ down Key influence? Yeah, we have.” How long _had_ they been at this? If she was honest, she’d stopped keeping track after five years. It didn’t really matter. “What’re you gettin’ at?”

“I...” Aloth sighed, let go of the ring to instead pick at a scar on the back of his finger. “...realized I haven’t thanked you recently for staying with me so long, especially given this task’s distinct lack of the excitement you so enjoy.”

Tavi snorted a laugh. “I’m also stubborn as fuck, city slicker. No way I’m leavin’ somethin’ halfway done if I get a blazin’ say in the matter.” She shot him a grin. “And I like your company.”

His cheeks tinged ever so faintly pink. He was used to her casual, playful flirting, but it was fun that she could still get reactions like that. “As do I.” Another hesitated beat. “Tavi...”

“Food’s gonna get cold, Corfiser,” she reminded him playfully, before catching something in his eye that made her sober. “What?”

That _something_ flickered, but after a moment’s pause, Aloth simply shook his head. “It will keep,” he said, and took a bite of stew.

“Oh, come on, Aloth, don’t fuckin’ do that!” Tavi protested, internally debating the merits of shoving him off the log. “You _know_ curiosity’ll drive me crazy!”

He smiled, leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek. “It will keep,” he repeated.

Tavi growled, and while she didn’t push him off the log, she did peel away a chunk of bark and throw it at him before they turned their full attention to their meal.

##  **\---**

The morning did not go _at all_ as planned. The contact they’d meant to meet never showed, checking revealed he’d turned up dead the night before, and doing their own investigating had gotten them _here_.

Running up the stairs fast as they could go, several suspected Leaden Key operatives in dogged pursuit.

“So much for them being _subtle_ ,” Tavi grumbled between heavy breaths.

“We could blow their cover,” Aloth pointed out, breathing just as hard. “In that circumstances, it’s more about speed dealing with the problem than remaining subtle.”

“Oh-” There was a loud crackle behind them and Tavi yelped as a lightning bolt skimmed the back of her shoulder and made her stumble on its way up the staircase.

Aloth grabbed her arm to yank her up. “We need to find a room,” he grit out as they reached a landing. There were no options here, but the next one up had at least two doors visible. He jerked his chin up toward them. “See if one’s unlocked,” he panted, reaching for his grimoire.

“And what the fuck are _you_ gonna be doin’?” Tavi demanded between clenched teeth. Her shoulder hurt like the blazes, and no way was she letting _him_ make the sacrifice play here--

“Slowing them down.” He pushed her toward the steps. “I’ll be right behind you, _**go**_!”

With a final growl of frustration she she complied, scrambling up to check the doors. She recognized the spell he was chanting and smirked despite the pain. Some of those copperfuckers were about to have an _even shittier_ day than the two of them. The crackle of a rolling fire filled her ears--along with dismayed yells--as she checked the doors.

Both were locked, but one had a rattle to it, so Tavi backed up far as she could and threw herself into that one. The lock snapped with barely any resistance and she stumbled into the--thankfully empty--room. Aloth was, as promised, not far behind her, and they slammed the door closed.

“How much time didja buy us, city slicker?” she asked, bracing her uninjured shoulder against the door while he looked for something to block it closed.

“A minute or so,” he said with grim satisfaction. That was a veritable eternity in a situation like this, and somehow still just the blink of an eye. “They’ll have to wait for the flames to die down at least. However many of them are still alive. Ah.” He untangled a chair out of the corner and dragged it over to brace under the doorknob.

Tavi stepped away and winced when she looked out the window. “Still don’t like our odds, Corfiser.” They were a long way up. And on this side, at least, it was a sheer drop all the way to the ground. She looked around the room, but didn’t see anything that could help, and with minimal options for cover in such close quarters, this would likely go very poorly when they got in. “Y’know, when I figured on doin’ this with you the rest of my life, I wasn’t thinkin’ it would be this fuckin’ short,” she groused, dragging one hand through her hair.

Aloth’s lips curved into a wry smile and he huffed a soft laugh.

Tavi narrowed her eyes as she tested the mobility of a sheet-draped desk. “What? Help me with this.”

It wasn’t until they’d dragged the desk to barricade the door that he answered. “You remember our conversation last night.”

“Yeah. The one you said would keep.”

“Yes. I’d been thinking along those same lines; that this might take the remainder of our lifetime, and...” He hesitated.

“Corfiser, we’re kinda pressed for time here,” Tavi nudged as she started toward the other window. 

“And I was thinking I wouldn’t mind that so terribly if we were doing it _together_ , and I...”

She stopped in her tracks and spun to look at him as his silence made the pieces click. “City slicker. Were you gonna _propose_?!”

He nodded, jaw tense, and twisted one of his rings.”At some point.”

With supreme effort, she swallowed the laugh bubbling up her throat because she knew he’d take it the wrong way, and resumed course toward the window. “You know you don’t have to do that to keep me around, right? You’re already stuck with me.”

“And quite happy that way,” Aloth said, leaning his weight against their makeshift barricade as the footsteps outside reached the door and fists or bodies pounded against the wood. “I just thought-” The door shuddered enough to make the desk rock forward and he cut himself off as he spun to push back in earnest. “I feel our roles in this situation should be switched...”

“Gotta roll with what life gives ya,” Tavi muttered distractedly as she looked out the other window. Still not great, but steep as the angle was, there were a pair of roofs over here they could--in theory--slide down. “Speakin’ of, think I found our way out.”

Whatever he started to say was cut off by the ungodly screech of the desk’s legs skidding against floor tiles.

“Come _on_!” She shoved the window the rest of the way open, eyeing the way the roofs joined. This was going to be _fucking_ tricky, not to mention dangerous, but they were out of other options. 

Aloth pushed the desk back, started toward her, then stopped and spun back, grimoire in hand.

“ _Aloth_ -!” Her impatient (panicked) urging died in her throat as he hastily cast his spell and a shimmering wall of brilliantly-colored energy filled the space between them and the door. “Alright, good idea, _ **come on**_!!”. She grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him toward the window with her as a splintering sound came from the door.

He didn’t hesitate, but Tavi saw the trepidation flicker in his eyes mid-clambering out the window. “Tavi, this is _insane_!”

 _Insane’s all we fuckin’ got,_ she thought as she dropped the foot and a half to the roof and immediately started to slide. She picked up speed much faster than she’d anticipated, despite digging in her heels. _Shitshit **SHIT**_ She let up with one heel and dug the other in harder to partially turn as she reached the juncture with the neighboring roof, hit it with shoulder and hip rather than risk getting spun around. The impact still hurt--especially her already-injured shoulder--but it kept her feet first as she changed direction and skidded toward the blessedly low eaves.

Tavi _just_ managed to snag the edge and check her momentum before she dropped the remaining distance to the ground. Despite her efforts, she still tumbled upon impact, air escaping, her lungs in a rush. _Hylea’s **blazing** feathered_\--

Aloth landed on top of her.

By some miracle they avoided knocking heads, but his elbow did jam hard into her ribs and she heard him grunt as his breath was knocked out like hers.

A few seconds later came the sharp gasp and mumbled string of still-breathless apology as it registered _where_ he’d landed and he rolled off. “Are you alright?!” he demanded.

Tavi groaned as she pushed up on hands and knees. “I will be, if we have a gods-damned minute to catch our breath...”

Aloth nodded, sitting back to lean against the wall, still breathing hard. “I pulled the window closed behind me; unless one of them survived the spell _and_ managed to look out to witness our, ah, rapid descent, it’s likely they’ve no idea where we went.” His brow furrowed when she hissed as she sat back on her heels. “Sorry.”

She shook her head. “I’d rather this over you kissin’ the ground hard as I fuckin’ did. Think that woulda done more damage to you than you did to me,” she panted as she crawled over to join him. Her ribs ached. He didn’t need to know that part.

For a long minute they sat there in silence, backs pressed to the stone wall, knees drawn up to keep out of sight from above, as they tried to catch their breath.

“So,” Tavi finally began. “You still plannin’... plannin’ to ask your question, city slicker?”

Aloth rolled his head against the stone to look over at her, brows raised. “I’ll... think about it,” he said after a _long_ pause. 

Tavi scoffed a small laugh--Trust him to over-analyze something, even now--and shifted close enough she could bump her shoulder to his. “If or when you _do_ , y’know, _**ask**_ , I’ll say yes.”

His expression shifted to an elated yet curious grin. “What happened to me being stuck with you regardless?”

She shrugged, grinned back. “ _I_ know that, and _you_ know that, but I kinda like the idea of showin’ everyone else we mean business on this commitment thing.”

Aloth chuckled and laced his fingers between hers. “Well, then, maybe we should.”

She raised a brow. “Didn’t hafta think about _that_ long,” she teased.

“I’ve been thinking about it for years,” he corrected softly. “Just never seemed the right time.”

“And this _ **does**_?!” Tavi laughed.

“Maybe I’m just tired of waiting,” Aloth murmured. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Marry me?”

She grinned and pushed off the wall to kiss him properly. “Abso- _fucking_ -lutely. But nothin’ fancy. An’ I’m not wearing a dress.”

“Oh, perish the thought,” Aloth chuckled, and kissed her again. “Just a visit to the local chancellor’s office?” Both of them hissed as a variety of tender spots made themselves known with the passion of the kiss. “Perhaps _after_ a visit to the nearest healer?” he mumbled, gingerly brushing his fingertips against her scorched shoulder.

“Good idea,” Tavi agreed, but stole one last kiss before she pushed to her feet. Aloth’s leg gave out when he went to follow suit.

“I... banged my knee on the turn,” he explained, wincing. “Must’ve been harder than I realized.”

“Need a piggyback ride?” Tavi snarked, and he shot her a distinctly unamused look.

“That won’t be necessary,” he said. “I’m sure it will be fine once I get to my feet.”:

Here.” Tavi held out a hand, and when he took it, hauled him up and draped his arm around her shoulders. “I need you in good shape later,” she winked, cutting off his protest. “Not takin’ any chances.”

He barely blushed, which made her grin, but didn’t attempt to protest further. With how heavily he was leaning on her when they started walking, she was pretty sure she knew why. 

But battered as they were, they were still walking away alive(and _engaged_ , however the fuck _**that**_ had happened), so it counted as a win in her book.

##  **\---**

Tavi felt the looks they drew as they entered the city chancellor’s offices a few hours later, her with bandages visible under the collar of her shirt, Aloth still limping thanks to how badly he’d bruised his knee. She didn’t care.

She didn’t care about the looks, she didn’t care about the clerk’s disparaging snort at the brevity of their engagement period( _”We’ve been in love for years,_ postenago. _Don’t need a long engagement when you have that_. _”_ ). All she cared about was Aloth’s arm linked through hers, and the look in his eyes that said he was just as giddy about this as she was.

Apparently the chancellor didn’t care, either; upon hearing they were there to get married, he simply nodded and pulled out the appropriate certificate. “It needs to be completed and signed in my presence to count as a legally witness and binding agreement,”: he explained as he set the parchment in front of them.

“Well, Corfiser, last chance,” she teased, heart pounding. “D’you really wanna go through w-”

Aloth cupped one hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. “I do,” he said with a smirk that made plain he knew exactly what she was doing. “I _absolutely_ do.”

“Just checking,” Tavi grinned giddily, resting her forehead against his. “I walked right in to that, didn’t I?”

“Yes, yes you did.” He leaned in to press a lighter, almost chaste kiss to her lips. “As if you did it on purpose. Let’s get on with it, shall we?”

“City slicker, that’s your best idea yet.”

It only took a moment to fill out the certificate--complete with internal smirk at the contrast between his elegant script and her careless scrawl--thus making things official.

“So,” Aloth said, taking her hands in his as the chancellor turned to file the certificate, “despite its rough start, and our lack of progress on our true goal, I consider today a success, don’t you?”

And Tavi grinned so wide it hurt her face, tugged _her husband_ forward into a hungry kiss by their joined hands, then slipped hers free to instead tangle in his hair. “I do,” she mumbled against his mouth. “I _absolutely do_.”


End file.
